Last month, a secret meeting between Ukraine, its G-7 allies and the small group of the global South was held to try to rally support for Kyiv’s terms for peace talks with Russia, according to people familiar with the matter.
Previously undisclosed on December 16. The meeting of national security advisers in Saudi Arabia followed larger, publicized meetings aimed at countering Moscow’s attempts to divide Ukraine and its allies and portray them as unwilling to negotiate an end to the war.
The secrecy was partly aimed at making participating countries feel more comfortable joining, according to Bloomberg news agency. The smaller format allowed for a freer and more open discussion of the so-called Ukrainian peace formula and plans to continue this process, as well as the principles of possible cooperation with Russia in the future.
But in recent months, as the third year of the Russian invasion approaches, the Allied effort has slowed. In the USA and the European Union, more than 100 billion Dollars worth of vital aid has been bogged down in approval processes by Washington and Brussels, and Ukraine’s counteroffensive last year failed to make a major breakthrough on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, some EU countries are reneging on their promises to provide Kyiv with more weapons and artillery ammunition at a time when Ukraine is under repeated Russian missile attacks. The war between Israel and Hamas has also fueled tensions with countries in the global South.
Little progress
No major progress was made at the meeting in Riyadh, according to people familiar with the meeting, who asked not to be named in order to discuss private matters. According to them, Ukraine and its G-7 allies have continued to resist calls from countries in the global South to engage directly with Russia.
Moscow has denounced the allied effort, to which Russia was not invited, as a farce, according to Bloomberg.
While top officials from India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey attended in December. At the meeting in Riyadh, other major countries of the Global South that had attended some previous larger sessions, namely China, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, did not send representatives, the sources said.
Many countries involved believe that Beijing can influence Moscow, given the close ties between the two countries. Brazil, which holds the presidency of this year’s G-20 group of nations, submitted a written statement.
Kyiv and its G-7 allies reaffirmed their view that a “just peace” deal must respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s goals had not changed and that he had shown no signs that he was serious about substantive talks. , and did not comply with previous agreements. Allies have made clear they will continue to support Ukraine, and the EU and US have said they are confident aid packages will be agreed.
Representatives of the White House National Security Council declined to comment. The governments of Ukraine and Saudi Arabia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Further actions
Ukraine and its allies have planned another meeting of a broader group in Switzerland next week ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos and have invited more than 100 countries, the people said. Previous sessions were held in Copenhagen, Jeddah and Malta last year.
Kyiv wants to hold a summit of leaders early this year and use it as a starting point to develop a plan based on agreed principles for any future talks with Moscow.
Some countries believe it is premature to hold a leadership-level summit in the coming months, while others want to bring Russia into the process immediately.
December. at the beginning of the year, V. Putin visited Saudi Arabia, where he held wide-scale negotiations – this was a rare trip abroad amid the ongoing international isolation caused by his invasion.
One person close to the Kremlin hinted late last year that some contacts had been made regarding a cease-fire deal, but did not provide any details. There has been no confirmation of this, and Ukraine and its allies suspect any such ties are a disingenuous ploy by the Kremlin to weaken support for Kyiv and buy time.
V. Putin expressed his desire to end the conflict, but “only on our terms”. Among his conditions were the removal of the leadership of Volodymyr Zelenskiy and a huge reduction in Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
“Peace will come when we achieve our goals,” Putin said at a media event in late December. “This means Ukraine’s de-Nazification, demilitarization and its neutral status.”
The withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine is the main pillar of the Ukrainian peace formula. Other points include the return of deported children and prisoners of war, as well as ensuring food and energy security.
All participants in the discussions in Riyadh recognized Ukraine’s right to self-defense and agreed on the need to observe the basic principles of the United Nations, including respect for the territorial integrity of states, and international law.
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2024-07-04 00:53:14